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CLEANSERS epoxy made by Gougeon Bros.; 517-684-7286) was pretty straightforward. Still, because of the unforgiving adhesive and cumbersome material, I worked carefully. I glued up in two stages, adhering the sides to the bottom at the end of one day, then adding the backsplash and canted front the following morning. The sink came bored for the drain, but because I had yet to pick a faucet when I ordered the sink, drilling the faucet holes in the backsplash was left to me. This was fairly simple. I used a carbide-grit hole saw, purchased at Home Depot, and was careful to drill squarely to the backsplash to avoid binding the hole saw and spalling the slate. The sink was assembled on top of its cabinet. To support the sink's 200 lb., I made up the cabinet's sides as 4-in. wide boxes of3/.-in. plywood. The cabinet rests on four adjustable feet, each of which is rated for 220 lb. If the sink settles, the removable toe kick allows access to these levelers. Slate is impervious to heat damage and staining, but I wanted to add a simple, lowmaintenance finish. Structural Slate's Kent Lerch suggested flooding with linseed oil and wiping dry. Other suppliers that I spoke with like mineral oil, while some stipulate specially formulated stonecare products. I used an oil finish made for boat decks, painstakingly selected on the basis of being what I had at hand. The stone is relatively soft and abrades a bit easily, but off-the-shelf furniture polishes effectively hide the fine scratches. Upkeep has proved to be gratifyingly minimal. The flat bottom and relatively sharp interior corners require more swabbing than typical stainless or porcelain sinks, but not to a bothersome extent. On the other hand, though, I no longer worry about glassware making surprise ski runs toward the drain. -Michael Standish is a carpenter and writer from West Roxbury, Massachusetts. A stainless-steel cleaner that works long with owner's manuals, our Viking appliances came with order forms for something called Thor forms until stainless-steel enemy No. 1-the fingerprintreared its head. I tried everything from window cleaners to an expensive European polish with an impressive umlaut in its name. They left streaks, smudges or spots, many worse than the fingerprints themselves. So I bought a can of Thor. Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish. I stashed away the order I'm pleased to report that Thor keeps stainless steel looking new. Thor is nonabrasive, has a pleasant lemon fragrance and leaves no greasy film. Also, if you have stainless-steel countertops, Thor is authorized by the USDA for use in federally inspected meat and poultry plants. At $14.95, it's pricey, but the 18-oz. can lasts a long time. Thor products can be purchased from Magnolia Marketing (800-876-8467). -Jim Garramone is a designer in Evanston, Illinois. Can of steel. Thor stainless-steel cleaner is a solution to fingerprints on stainless-steel surfaces. audiophile, so as long as I hear something, I'm happy. My only complaint is that Sony ships the player with round-head mounting screws. If you want a smooth bottom cabinet shelf, you'll have to buy your own flat-head screws. But with a CD player in the kitchen and my daughter's eardrums safe in the living room, I can happily bake bread with Britney or make muffins with Madonna. -Chris Hoelck is senior copy/production editor for Fine Homebuilding. Photos this page: Charles Miller FALL/WINTER 2000 123 What a girl wants. With a Sony CD player/clock radio mounted under a cabinet, everyone in the family can enjoy music in the kitchen.